£1 million Home Office fund for places of worship

Places of worship will receive up to £56,000 towards improved security at their premises as part of a new £1 million investment from the Home Office. The Places of Worship Security Funding scheme, which launched in 2016 and is worth £2.4 million in total, has helped 89 churches, mosques, temples and gurdwaras to install protective alarms, security lighting and CCTV cameras to deter attackers. The funding comes nearly a year after a vehicle was used to attack pedestrians and worshippers near the Muslim Welfare House in Finsbury Park. The terrorist attack, which injured eight people, one of whom died at the scene, targeted a group of Muslims who had earlier performed tarawih, night time prayers held in the month of Ramadan. Baroness Williams,Minister for Countering Extremism, said: “Communities being able to worship their religion free from intimidation, violence or abusive behaviour is a vital principle at the heart of the values we share in this country. This scheme has already helped many places of worship bolster their security and we encourage those who have suffered from or fear hate crime attacks to apply.”